Piston ring packing



Jan. 12, 1932. A, ow 1,841,195

PISTON RING PACKING Filed March 14. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 12, 1932. A. B. LOW 1,841,195

- PISTON RING PACKING Filed March 14. -1929 ZSheets-Sheet 2 5 close contacting engagement with the walls PatentedlJan. 12, 1932 UNITED STA}. s P ENroF rc ARTHUR nLow, or nnn'vnn,ooztormno PISTONRING PAoxme Application filed march, 1929. Sex-19.11% 346,982.

This invention relates to an improvement in piston ring packings.

.The object of the invention is to hold and maintain the piston rings of the piston in of the cylinder and to efiectively seal the space behind the piston rings, so as to eliminate the pumping of oil into the compression chamber, 'to prevent piston-slap, or. the

chatter of a loose fitting piston within the.

cylinder, to increase the compression charge, to conserve the expanded gases after ignition, toeconomize the use of Ollfilld. gasoline because of the use of lesser quantities and the maintenance of a proper compression,'a nd to preventthe dilution of the crank case oil by preventing the passing of unburned portions or less ;volatile portions of the gasoline into the crank case along the walls of the cylinder.

The present invention is an improvement on my former Patent No. 1,640,155, of August 23, 1927, but is developed to conserve the time and material in the positioning ofthe packing behind the piston rings in order to maintain the proper tension on the latter The present invention effectively seals the space behind the piston ring as well asforcing the ring into contact with the cylinder,

and is designed to give atleast as good or better results in the maintaining of the proper tension on the piston rings,.. but accomplishing this result with only a single coil of a spring behind each piston ring. More than one coil may be used if desired but by the formation of the crimped edges in the spring packing, the latter is sufliciently resilient and compensating in its effect, so that one coil will be suflicient whereas it usually requires more than one coil in the form shown in my patent above referred to.

In the accompanying drawings:; Fig. 1 is a plan view of one form of packing removed from a piston; v a

Fig. 2 isa sectional view therethrough on the line 2'2;

Fig. 3 is a plan view form of packng; v

Fig. 4 is a sectional view the line 4-4 a ofa slightly modified therethrough on ingrings are so great, it was necessary touse variable quantities of the bevelledsprings to Fig. .5 is a plan' view of still another form of the invention; Fig. 6 is a sectional view showing thepacking applied to "a piston;

Figs. 7 8 and*9jare detailed perspective views showing thesuocessive steps inthe formation'oi the packingyand Fig. 10 is asectional l0 1'0 of Fig. 1. r

In the formof piston packing shown in view, enlarged on line my prior patent, the packing was constructed of ordinary spring steeljwhich was, rolled so that whenbrough't into circular form, the

diameter at'one edge would be greater than the diameter at the other edge, thereby form ing a'packing in the general form of atruncated cone. 1 Since the variationin the depths ofthe piston ring grooves and also thevariation in the thickness oftheir correspondfill the spaces behind the piston rings. This called for considerable time and efiiort' in lapping'one coil over the other to secure the proper amount of tension on the piston rings. It was in an eflort to eliminate this lapping of the packing rings that the present invention was developed. While more than'a single coil may beused if desired, nevertheless,

it has been found thatone coil will be 'suflici ent to maintainthe'required tension and compensating effect on .the piston rings, maintaining a tight fit between the rings and the walls of the cylinder, and at the same time ellectively sealing the space behind the piston ring.

In the accompanyingidrawings, the conpumping of oil into the compression'chamber.

truncated cone shaped packing, shown n my prior: patent, additional space I was required piston rings 3 and is intended to apply additional tension to these rings for holding them in better contacting and close fitting relation against the walls of the cylinder, as well as to seal up the space behind the piston rings. This packing is designated generally by the numeral din Figs. 1 and 2. It will be noted in Fig. 1 that the opposite edges of the packing is oppositely crimped as at 5 and 6, re

spectively, so as to provide the general ser; rated form shown in Fig. 1, but that only the edges are crimped relative toathencentral.

and body portion, and these are crimped relative to the body portion of the packing rather V the present invention or the crimpedpackmg than being crimped in a general polygonal shape. I j The formation of these crimped edges is illustrated in Figs. 7, Sand 9. The packing is made of an initial strip of some spring material, such as spring steel,designated by the numeral 7v in'Fig. 7 This has one'edge 5 crimped in the manner shown in Fig. 8, after which the opposite 'edge' 6 .is crimped, as shown in Fig.9, or both edges maybe crimped simultaneously, if desired} I It willb'e' noted that the crimps are opposite to each other so that'when one edge is crimpedoutwardly the opposite edge at a corresponding point is criniped inwardly, the crimping of each edge extending toward or away from' thetransverse center of the ring. This provides alternately and oppositely twisted or cr'imped spring packing, and when this crimped" spring packing is again flattened out in positi'on'be'hind an extremely} close fitting piston 'ring, the entire space required for'the' disposition of the spring packing is the' thicknessof the spring material'itself, whereas in the bevelled or behind'the piston ring'to accommodate the bevel thereof. I I I While the present invention may be applied to a packing of the truncated cone type,

as referredto, it is preferable, however, to have it initially of 'a flfat or non-bevelled ype p 'Inthe form shown in 3 and 4, only one edge 7 of the packing iscrimped, which provides an apparently beveled construction, while theopposite edge 8 was of a true circular form. This'may be further emphasized by actually forming 'thefcrimps in one edge of the bevelled typeofpacking, such as shown in my be' desired. I I I c "In the form-shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the crimps are, all' formed in'the edge 7 and are bent inwardly only, cut of the plane of the body portion of the ringand outof alignment with the uncrimped edge 8. i

In Fig. 5, there is illustrated a similar form fqir e i s p ov Wuhan ner 'mre ed prior patent, this should more room behind a piston ring where the space behind the ring is extremely great. In this construction, however, it will be necessarythatthe .crimped edge be longer than the other or 'uncrimped edge in order to allow for the crimping.

- I amaware that-various polygonal shaped and waved, Marcel packing rings have been usedbutthese are not crimped at an angle from the plane of the spring and do not possess-theadvantagesderived from the use of the leakage of oil and compression in'worn cylinders. I I

'In my invention, the crimp is out of a perpendicular plane when the packing is disposed in the piston inthe usual relation,

which effectively seals up the space behind the piston ring'as well as maintaining the pro-per and required tension onv the ring. The crimping of one or both of the edges only of the spring packing maintains the proper tension on the piston rings evenif only a single coil of the spring is employed behind each ring. This likewise. reduces the time and effort required to provide more than one .coil of the spring in place behind the piston ring in the use of the bevelled form of packing,-such as provided in my'prior patent.

I claim:

1. Apiston ring expanderhaving a'non- I crimped main portion and an edge thereof crimped'in undulations relative to the main portion of said expander.

' 2. A ring-like band spring packing expander for piston-rings having a non-crimped main portion and at least one edge thereof crimped in {undulations throughout the major portion of the circumference.

3. An annular shaped springpacking for piston 'ringshaving a non crimped main portion and at least one edge thereof provided with wavy crimps ofl'setfrom the body portion of the packing.

" 4. An annular spring packing for piston rings having the opposite edges thereof crimped in difle'rent' directions relative to the general circumference of the? packing, the crimping of each of'the edgesextending less than the entire width of the packing.

5. 'Thecombination of a piston having an annular groove therein, a piston ring disposed: within said groove, and an annular resilient packing band interposed between the piston ring and inner wall of the groove and-having a non-crimped main portion and edge portions thereof crimped or twisted in undulations relative to the body of the packing band.

6. An expanding packing for piston rings having a non-crimped main portion and edge portions thereof twisted in undulations out of the line of said packing.

7. An expanding packing for piston rings of approximately annular and non-sinuous shape, and having edge portions thereof twisted in undulations out of the line of the annular portion forming off-sets at intervals.

8. An expanding packing for piston rings of approximately annular and non-sinuous shape and having portions thereof at its edges oppositely waving out of line with the true circumference of the packing.

9. An expanding packing for piston rings of general annular and non-sinuous shape and having portions thereof at at least one;

edge offset in undulations from the annular line of said packing.

V 10. An expanding packing for piston rings having sinuous edges, the sinuosities of one edge being staggered relative to the sinuosities of the other edge.

1 1. An expanding packing for piston rings or the like having a non-sinuous body .por-

. tion, and sinuosities formed in an edge thereof.

12. The combination of a piston having an annular groove therein, a piston ring disposed in said groove, and an expanding packing interposed between the back face of the ring and the inner Wall of the groove, to approxi- 4-0 inately seal the space behind the piston ring,

said packing having a non-sinuous body portion, and sinuosities formed in an edge thereof.

, 13. The combination of a piston having an annular groove therein, a piston ring disposed in said groove, and an expanding packing interposed between the back face of the ring and the inner wall of the groove to approximately seal the space behind the piston ring, said packing having sinuous edges, the

sinuosities of one edge being staggered relative to the sinuosities of the other edge.

In testimony whereof I affix m si nature.

ARTHUR OW. 

